


Apatite

by ShadeShine



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Fusion, Gen, Separation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-09
Updated: 2016-06-09
Packaged: 2018-07-14 02:18:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7148327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadeShine/pseuds/ShadeShine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sapphire decides she needs some time apart from Ruby.  When an opportunity comes up, nothing will go quite as she expects...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Apatite

The pain of hiding things from her, from us, is too much to continue with. As expert as I am at concealing even my own feelings, she will know if I attempt to maintain the ruse for much longer.

“Ruby, we need to take a break from each other,” I admit through Garnet's lips, feeling our fusion begin to try to pull apart already.

“What?” she murmurs back at me, as she screams it in our head.

We are about to separate. I do not force us to hold together.

I only speak again as I lay on the ground, near her. “We had been fused for nearly two millennia before Jasper came to our world. If we are ever separated again, we need to be able to function apart without becoming distracted by each other..”

“Why now?”

“So little is happening. This mission, this tiny affair that Steven himself could probably handle alone, is a perfect chance for us to be apart with no larger ramifications.”

Ruby ultimately gave in to the idea, bowing her head. “Though nothing went really wrong in the end, we nearly screwed up the baseball game...yeah.”

“I'm glad you understand.” It hurt me to do this, but I know it is what I have to do.

I smile. “It will only be for a few short hours.”

As I look into the future, I see so many good outcomes that the one bad eventuality slips by the side of my vision that I barely glimpse it before forgetting it.

I am so assured of the success of my plan, and so comfortable with the outcome.

\-----

The others are unhappy and nervous to see us apart. Well, except for Lapis, who seems more focused on appraising us than feeling anything about us. Peridot is still in the barn, or else she has hidden behind Amethyst?

Steven, thankfully, is just happy to see us again. “Ruby! Sapphire! Are you coming with us apart?”

“No. I'm staying here apart. Ruby's going with you apart,” I explain.

“Why are you staying here?” Pearl asks, frowning.

“I'll be focusing on seeing the future, predicting the turns things can take.”

“Well, if someone else can keep Peridot company while she works on...whatever she's doing in the barn, I'm going to stretch my wings. You might need a little help traversing the waves of this 'Mystic Beach'.”

“You're coming with us, Lapis?” Ruby queries, a slight edge in her voice.

I can understand not trusting her. When I focused my gaze on Lapis in the past, I always saw things go two different ways.

Usually, the choices she would make were cut and run. Sometimes it was a knife in the back, sometimes she just fled when things got hard. Cowardice was understandable, betrayal was unforgivable. That made it easy to keep her in the mirror.

However, I never saw any futures of her hurting Steven after those first contacts we had with her.

Ruby, however, sees things focused through the lens of her drowning Steven and Connie.

However, I know that even if Lapis decided to betray us now, at this most unlikely of points, that Ruby's Eternal Flame will turn even the oceans to steam to defeat her.

Lapis glares.

“Guys, no fighting.” Steven wags a finger and stands between them. “We'll need both of your skills. Ruby's fighting and Lapis's water telekinesis stuff!”

They sigh and give each other a nod, and I smile.

Steven has learned so much from Rose Quartz, and he's never met her.

One day, will he surpass her?

Such a silly thought to have now, as my own plan nears completion. Today, I will fuse with Peridot, and no one can stop me.

“Goodbye, everyone,” I say as I head toward the barn.  
\---

“Log Date, 7 19 2.”

As I sit crosslegged in the barn's loft, I contemplate the fact that I'm with her. The only person who could refuse fusing with me.

Ruby was able to put it aside, but I could not.

Who would we have been?

Would it have felt good or have been unstable?

Both of those questions will be answered today, but without the size and intimidation factor of Garnet to interfere.

Besides, a few hours being myself and not Garnet will probably be good for me.

I don't need to bond with Peridot, but there is that strange sensation of loneliness. I must control it. If this experiment is to be a failure, or we fall apart not long after we fuse, I cannot panic. In a few hours, my curiosity will be sated and Ruby will be back.

“Today, I am meeting one member of the only mostly permafusion Garnet, Sapphire.”

I fall from my thoughts.

“Hello,” I say for the benefit of her 'mental recording'. Even without the recorder, she still enjoys acting as if she is using one.

“So, you already know that I am the great and lovable Peridot.”

“I do indeed.” And so she is, if only when she shows her good side. The good thing is that I'm seeing more and more of it all the time.

“But I know nothing of you, except that you dress in blue and you seem to very much enjoy dresses.”

“Both facts are true, though that may be simply a holdover from my days of serving as a member of a court.”

“Your kind are known for that, though I've learned well to know that one's design has nothing to do with the limits of their potential.” Peridot nodded.

I gesture for her to sit beside me.

“So.” She sits with her legs straight out. “Why did you split from your Percy?”

I smile. “Who says I'm not the Percy?”

Peridot blushes, realizing the gravity of her 'mistake', and mutters, “from your other half.”

I've already prepared for this eventuality. “I chose to stay here to focus on our future. With Jasper on the loose and those Rubies still on planet, we can't really afford to be caught here alone. You're a valuable member of this team, but you're busy with your experiments.”

That satisfies her well enough, and makes her chuckle. 

However, she quickly sobers.

“Fine. Until something happens, if it is going to happen, I have questions,” Peridot says.

“Go ahead.”

“What is it like to fuse? You must experience things differently than Garnet.”

I can't say I'm too surprised that the issue is on her mind. I am a reminder of fusion even when I am not part of a 'permafusion'. 

I resist the urge to say 'I could always show you'.

“The feeling is unlike any other. Though I am still very much my own person, I can lose myself in the rush of love and unity.” I sigh. “I have fused with others, but never apart from Ruby. Though I understand fusion like no other, I hold a certain ignorance of it, as well.”

Peridot makes an excited squeal. “So you've been loyal to your Pierre all this time?”

“Loyalty is a human concept.” I grin. “You've learned so much in such a short time.”

“I would not advocate loyalty to a non-optimal formation.” Peridot groans, but quickly adds, “Garnet is a good friend, very optimal.”

“I know what you mean.” I wave a hand. “You should probably avoid using that kind of word with the rest of them, but I know that you appreciate them for reasons other than their efficiency.”

“Good. Good. I don't know what you know, but I'm glad you know that I am a loyal friend.” She does not look at me.

“That is why I am curious about something.” I prepare to venture into the unknown. The future is almost clouded, ahead. Every answer seems just as likely, and I can see so many I am almost blind. What lays on the other side of this conundrum, too, is clad in shadow.

“Yes?” She finally glances my way.

I breathe slowly, trying to hide my fear, and finally speak, “why did you turn Garnet away instead of fusing with her?”

Peridot flushes just a little bit. “I wasn't ready for you. Her. Both of you.”

“I understand.” I nod. I wish she had given me a better lead in. Still, I say, “would you like to try again?”

She narrows her eyes and practically looks through me.

I wonder how astute she is on this matter. A technician can pull a machine apart with a few tools and a few minutes to find the weak spots, but they are often so lost when they must study a Gem for anything but its physical qualities.

When she speaks, I can barely hear her over the breeze, “I have seen your Pierre, even briefly, and I don't doubt that she is fierce. Would she not...grow angry at me replacing her, even for a moment?”

Ruby would not have left me here, having looked into the future with me as Garnet, if she did not accept that something like this could happen.

That is permission enough.

“She would not blame you.” I smile. “Come on, you must be curious. We can split apart if you don't like it.”

She is curious. She's curious about so many things. Even if her studies of Earth have been biased by her Homeworld upbringing, she has always tried to learn more.

She will not flee from this.

“I can't promise I'll succeed. But it will be easier to dance without needing the stilts.” She exhales and stands.

I giggle slightly and say, “your form was very good for a first timer.”

We head down and out of the barn, and I have a couple thoughts about why I shouldn't be doing this.

What if they come back early?

What if Ruby gets jealous even though this isn't going to be a big deal?

What if something about this fusion causes a schism that destroys our group chemistry?

Sardonyx comes to mind.

We survived that, though.

I sigh silently as we face each other and assure myself that we will survive this, too.

“I'm ready,” Peridot murmurs.

And so we dance, this time without music.

Peridot is slow and faltering as she tries to pick up on my style. I stop her.

“You have to dance like you. We shouldn't have led you so strongly the first time.” I pull back. “Move your arms and legs. Feel the thrumming of your Gem and follow that motion.”

As she began to move (shakily), I resist the urge to smile as I begin to move myself. I shake my hips as I step closer to her.

She comes up behind me and grinds against me, and I wonder just how much she has learned from Amethyst.

I press against her, and she groans. I feel the synchronization begin.

In a flash, I'm gone.

Apatite. The name is clear in our mind.

The high and rush of a fresh fusion has us giddy as we stretch our arms.

“Power,” she says through our lips, “I can feel it!”

“We can feel it,” I add. I can barely tell the difference as our thoughts begin to run together, and yet I can tell exactly where she ends. We're not quite as together as Garnet would be, but Apatite is fun too.

We look down at ourselves through three eyes. Our form is covered in a black and blue dress, that culminates in dark green gloves. Through the break between the dress and the gloves, I can see our flesh is a neon shade of blue. The dress covers our feet, which is probably for the best.

Two arms, two legs, three eyes, and everything feels...optimal.

Not the word I would choose, but...

“We're huge!”

I run a hand up through my hair. It hangs loosely, but not in my face. I bring a strand around in front of me. It's practically gold.

How bizarre!

'Try to draw a weapon,' says a nagging thought as I finish taking stock of my form.

“How would that even work?” we ask ourselves.

“I don't know,” we answer.

We reach up to our head gem with our right hand

Finding our center, we try to pull forth our weapon. It is a great strain, but it slides forth.

A curved dagger shorter than our forearm, with a hole in it maybe a half an inch around.

For severing small wires as well as large?

It makes sense someone like us would have a weapon like this; suitable for close quarters combat, but also useful for technician work.

I take a stance, giddy to feel my power flow.

And so the dance begins. Thrust, parry, dodge, slash, and roll to the side. Our phantom foe is fearsome indeed, and every motion fill us with more and more excitement.

At some point, I draw another dagger. We move faster and quicker. I can visualize every motion Jasper would make.

We dodge her blows like she's moving in slow motion for ages, dealing a thousand cuts and scrapes. Finally, I see the weakness in her form, lunge, and slash her Gem in twain.

She falls, lifeless, and fades from my mind's eye.

We hear a gasp and turn.

“Ruby?” Our eyes widen as we look down at everyone.

“Oh my goodness, new fusion!” Steven cried.

The others are in varying states of amazement. Even Lapis is curious.

I have the strange feeling that we have quite a lot of explaining to do.

Peridot gets excited and starts explaining for us, “yes, we're Apatite!”

“Wow! You're huge! And you've got gold hair!”

“You two look awesome!” Amethyst adds, though something about her looks subdued.

Pearl nods her support.

Lapis has a glance, before retreating to her spot on the silo.

Ruby approaches and looks us over

“Do you know any awesome powers?”

“We don't know yet,” we admit as we pick Steven up and give him a hug. That makes him chuckle, at least, even as Ruby sulks off.

We really do have a lot of explaining to do, but, for now, we have a mission to hear about.

How I am going to explain this to Ruby, I know not...


End file.
